Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on Saturday remembered "ordinary men and women who became heroes at a moment's notice" when terrorists attacked the United States. "While Sept. 11th was the worst day we have ever seen, it brought out the best in all of us," Kerry told families of Massachusetts victims.

Getting crazy in a crowd or making merry in a ballroom is certainly one way to welcome in the New Year. But for those who like revelry in a lower key, Thomas Connors, author of Meet Me in the Bar: Classic Drinks From America's Historic Hotels, (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $19.95) suggests a visit to the bar of an old hotel.